Total Wine & More kicked off its grand opening at Cypress Creek Town Center in celebratory fashion — with giveaways, a live band and a festive atmosphere.
The wine and beer emporium is the newest retail at the expanding town center, off the Interstate 75 interchange at the State Road 54/State 56 corridor.
The commercially vibrant corridor is a magnet for economic development in the heart of Wesley Chapel and Land O’Lakes, stretching over through Odessa to Trinity.
Retail and restaurants are chasing the booming rooftop construction — with residential growth in Pasco County breaking records.
As the pandemic recedes, established residents and newcomers alike are eager to be out and about.
And, they’re finding plenty to do.
Plus, more options are on the way.
County permits, signs planted on the roadside and company websites provide a snapshot of what’s under construction and what’s on the future horizon.
An ale house, a fitness studio; fast-food and dine-in restaurants; a Krispy Kreme; and two specialty car washes are among the new and coming attractions.
Established shopping meccas such as the Tampa Premium Outlets, The Shops at Wiregrass, and Cypress Creek Town Center are expanding their store directories, as new tenants take up residence.
Total Wine & More slipped into a spot at Cypress Creek Town Center that was once occupied by the specialty grocer Earth Fare.
Troy Rice, chief operating officer for Total Wine & More, said the former grocery store space was a good fit for his company.
The plumbing and electrical work had been done, and Total Wine knew it had a gap in its coverage area, Rice said.
An appreciative crowd of wine and beer aficionados packed the store’s grand-opening festivities.
Other new developments coming to Cypress Creek Town Center include Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and new apartments that will be built near the Hyatt Place hotel.
A Harley-Davidson dealership is coming to the area, too. It will be on Wesley Chapel Boulevard, across from the town center’s entrance at Pondside Drive.
Meanwhile, there’s new activity at the Tampa Premium Outlets.
Miller’s Ale House is coming to an outparcel along the Wesley Chapel Boulevard entrance into the mall. And Zaxby’s Chicken Fingers & Buffalo Wings, and Chicken Salad Chick will settle into parcels bordered by Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Sun Vista Drive.
The Shops at Wiregrass, near the intersection of State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, has recent new tenants that include Sephora, Optimal Wellness, Perfume Palace and Gold Mine jewelers.
The mall’s coming-soon list includes JABZ, a boxing gym; Sky Jewels; Spirit, a Halloween costume store; and Fresh Produce Market, a produce stand in the parking lot of Dillard’s.
A shopping center next to Florida Avenue Brewing — at State Road 56 and Arrowgrass Drive — has attracted Green Market Café; Fyzical Therapy & Balance Center; and Lufka, an environmentally friendly health and beauty shop.
New development is coming to Land O’ Lakes, too.
Grand openings aren’t planned yet for the Shoppes at Cypress Creek, but construction is underway on State Road 54 next to the Circle K convenience store, west of the town center and outlet mall.
Signs tout Fazoli’s Italian Restaurant and Woodie’s Wash Shack at 24749 State Road 54. Additional tenants are anticipated.
Woodie’s car wash promises a “fun and funkie” experience, according to a marketing video. The beach-themed car wash acquired 11 sites in the Tampa Bay area, with expectations of turning on all its washing spigots by the end of 2021.
Beach vibes, coconut smells and a light show inside the car wash add up to family fun, with a final touch of vacuuming and sweeping out car trash at “Muscle Beach.”
Heading west along State Road 54, Krispy Kreme has planted a sign in a vacant parcel, just west of Camp Indianhead Crossings shopping center. So far, though, no permits have been filed.
The Shoppes at Ballantrae — west of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 — is expanding its commercial offerings, with a Valvoline shop on Aprile Drive, and another Woodie’s Wash Shack at 17322 State Road 54.
On a vacant parcel opposite from the Shoppes at Ballantrae, there’s an Aldi sign staked in the ground.
Matt Thon, Haines City division vice president for Aldi, didn’t provide details on the chain’s plans in Land O’ Lakes.
However, in a written statement, he reported that Aldi has “secured property in Pasco County with hopes to service more customers in the area.”
First Watch, Starbucks and AutoZone are settling in, near the intersection of State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard.
Starkey Ranch Business Park, which opened last year with fare such as The Wicked Pour, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and Encore Nail Salon, is adding Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Butcher’s Mark Fresh Meat & Marinades, at State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue.
The sandwich chain’s website currently shows no restaurants in Florida.
The Preserve Marketplace at South Branch and State Road 54 will add Chipotle Mexican Grill and Lin China restaurant. The shopping center is anchored by Publix GreenWise, and last year opened with tenants that included CVS Pharmacy and Panera Bread.
Suncoast Crossings, which lost an anchor store when the Super Target closed more than four years ago, is undergoing a revival.
The approximately 115,000-square-foot building is being remodeled for two tenants – Santander Consumer USA and Rasmussen University.
Santander anticipates adding about 875 jobs. Rasmussen will bring in hundreds of students.
Shoppes at Crossings Boulevard is a new strip mall built on outparcels of Suncoast Crossings shopping complex.
Tenants will include Touch Nail Spa; Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists; PT Solutions, a physical therapy clinic; Jimmy John’s Sandwich Shop; Smoothie King; and Hot Worx, an infrared/sauna fitness studio.
Hot Worx, set to open July 15, is a new venture for Debbie Upright, a former pharmaceutical representative and her husband, Scott, a retired dentist.
The infrared-heated fitness studio will be open 24/7. Memberships and walk-ins are welcome for a variety of isometric workouts, yoga, Pilates and spinning.
Upright said she and her husband considered various sites, but said the area’s robust activity was a key consideration, in selecting where to set up shop.
“This is a prime location,” she said.
By Kathy Steele
Published July 21, 2021
